Sat on new Speed Triple. Big mistake

[Big Dave]

My only gripes (with the speed) are oil burning and suspension that's like a pogo stick.

I must have received a "friday afternoon" production line bike.

Two pretty big gripes, but I still love the bike.

Beats me. They have pretty good quality Showa fitted lately.
The suspension is good for me - certainly thought the '11 was good stock. Didn't even have to dick around with it much.

Your spring rate might not be working?

[Berries]

if it was me I'd go for the last of the old shape - those lights just don't work.

Eye of the beholder and all that. I'm in the market for a bike and have kind of narrowed it down to these two bikes like HenryDC. I want to go smaller than my current 1000 for licence longevity, but much prefer the look of the Speed over the Street due to the lights. And the bigger engine. Bugger. Confused myself again.

[pritch]

My only gripes (with the speed) are oil burning and suspension that's like a pogo stick.

There is an Ohlins unit here that could be converted to Triumph spec with a wave of Dr Roberts wand (and a wad of cash) but I haven't felt that the bike needed it.

BIKE magazine have killed two Triumph engines while testing due to higher than anticipated oil consumption. Triumph say their engines perform to industry standards, but those standards were apparently written in the 1960s.

I go through Triumphs needlessly arcane oil level check like I'm an OCD patient.

[Geeen]

Eye of the beholder and all that. I'm in the market for a bike and have kind of narrowed it down to these two bikes like HenryDC. I want to go smaller than my current 1000 for licence longevity, but much prefer the look of the Speed over the Street due to the lights. And the bigger engine. Bugger. Confused myself again.

The 1050's got torque and the new ones look cooool in BLACK. Then again, so do the older ones

[short-circuit]

There is an Ohlins unit here that could be converted to Triumph spec with a wave of Dr Roberts wand (and a wad of cash) but I haven't felt that the bike needed it.

BIKE magazine have killed two Triumph engines while testing due to higher than anticipated oil consumption. Triumph say their engines perform to industry standards, but those standards were apparently written in the 1960s.

I go through Triumphs needlessly arcane oil level check like I'm an OCD patient.

The odd 675 has also been known to use some oil. Mine's never used a speck - nor did my previous one.

[Voltaire]

I've never had a new bike, nearest I got was a as new mint Jap import 2001 Ducati 900 SS ( now on TM) that I got 3 years ago. Its worth about 1/2 what I paid for it. Hopefully Triumph do not suffer from this sort of depreciation. Saying that the market was probably not flooded with Jap imports.
Prefering the classics these days....did 550kms on the Norton in the weekend....120 kms feels like 200 ..... the illusion of speed without the tickets....and you can't beat the sound or the feel of an old British twin.
The Ducati is a nice bike, but never came to love the styling, engineering or riding.
My mate has a new Street Triple and Tiger ....he loves them.

[sinfull]

My only gripes (with the speed) are oil burning and suspension that's like a pogo stick.

I must have received a "friday afternoon" production line bike.

Two pretty big gripes, but I still love the bike.

You still not got that suspension sorted Dave ?
Gis a yell at some stage mate, we'll spend an hour on it and i bet ya will change your opinion !
Worst case would be, if your under 85 kg gear on could be a spring rate change for the rear shock !

[HenryDorsetCase]

There is an Ohlins unit here that could be converted to Triumph spec with a wave of Dr Roberts wand (and a wad of cash) but I haven't felt that the bike needed it.

BIKE magazine have killed two Triumph engines while testing due to higher than anticipated oil consumption. Triumph say their engines perform to industry standards, but those standards were apparently written in the 1960s.

I go through Triumphs needlessly arcane oil level check like I'm an OCD patient.

Performance Bikes also lunched a 675 motor a couple years back. Though they were endurance testing it vs a GSXR750 over 24 hours.

But I think in the real world it would be OK.

[Indiana_Jones]

The Street Triple is mean

Do it!

-Indy

[shrub]

Eye of the beholder and all that. I'm in the market for a bike and have kind of narrowed it down to these two bikes like HenryDC. I want to go smaller than my current 1000 for licence longevity, but much prefer the look of the Speed over the Street due to the lights. And the bigger engine. Bugger. Confused myself again.

If you want to keep your speed down either bike is a good option and both bikes are a bad choice. I have ridden many kms on both, and found that if you're in a laid back mellow mode the upright naked riding position works just fine and it's possible to pootle along at nana velocity, but both bikes come with a little devil that sits on your shoulder and says bad things and knows your weaknesses.

The Street loves being rarked up, and the sound from the induction alone rewards big handfuls and that engine is a swiss watch - smooth with power everywhere. It loves being spun up and the whole bike is so responsive that I can't resist the temptation to ride beyond sensible. On the other hand the Speed is like a heavyweight cage fighter and feels kind of brutal. It's actually probably a slower bike but has ridiculous low and mid range grunt, and I find that I am forever winding it out just to feel that grunt.

If it was me I'd buy a 09/10 Speed because I love the bug eye headlights and don't like the new ones and because I love the muscular feel it has. I also find the Street a little too responsive for a fat, slow moving old bastard like myself and I have found myself heading for trouble too often.

I came close to getting a 1050 Speed a few months ago, but I had just got a very, very nasty ticket riding a mates 955 Speed up to Tauranga and am now one ticket off my license, so I bought an old airhead beemer instead.

[HenryDorsetCase]

an old airhead beemer that doesnt go*..... nothing like a bike that "needs work" to keep your pace to walking or jogging.....


*or have you got it running now?>

[Flannel]

St Triple (last Gen) is one of THE reasons I got my bike license.
Love to upgrade to one when I get my Full. A while yet though.

Im not a huge fan of the new lights, but I think they look ok with the Fly Screen. Whereas the last gen could hold its own with or without the 'screen.

I saw this pic of an R, but I havent seen anything about that colourway being released.

[shrub]

Hopefully Triumph do not suffer from this sort of depreciation.

They used to hold their value reasonably well, but a year or so ago Triumph dropped prices on everything to generate sales, which is textbook "don't do" for a premium brand. As a result Johnny who had bought a Street for $15k saw his mate Mike pay $13k for the same bike, which meant his bike was now a $10k bike. The argument is that it's a short term special, and that prices will return, but the market now expects price drops, so even though they are back up people won't pay more for a used bike than they used to be able to pay for a new bike.

Triumph NZ haven't managed their brand all that well, which is a shame because they really are outstanding motorcyles and very much a premium product.

As for reliability, my son has an 09 Street that he has ridden for nearly 30k in all conditions from commuting to track days, and has modified and fucked with it etensively, and it hasn't missed a beat.

[shrub]

an old airhead beemer that doesnt go*..... nothing like a bike that "needs work" to keep your pace to walking or jogging.....


*or have you got it running now?>

Nah, I won't be getting to the engine for a few weeks yet, I'm stripping and rebuilding the front end at the moment and working slowly through the bike one thing at a time. Only problem is this weekend my daughter has booked my shed for her 18th birthday party, so everything is being packed away so nasty teenagers don't touch bikes of bits of bike.

[Chunkyboi]

St Triple (last Gen) is one of THE reasons I got my bike license.
Love to upgrade to one when I get my Full. A while yet though.

Im not a huge fan of the new lights, but I think they look ok with the Fly Screen. Whereas the last gen could hold its own with or without the 'screen.

I saw this pic of an R, but I havent seen anything about that colourway being released.

A mate handed me his Speed Triple for a ride and the torque curve was amazing.
Loved the sound and riding position.
I definatly agree with shrubs comment.
The bike just keeps begging to be pushed harder.

Couldn't get rid of the grin for days!